Folks Of Interest Washington State Hot Rodding Legends

Len Williams.
Turbine powered 32 roadster as it appears in the Lemay collection now.

 

Claude L. Freund
Age 64
Claude was born on January 24, 1947 to Wilma and Arthur Freund in Spokane, Washington and passed away unexpectedly on April 27, 2011. Claude grew up in the Valley and graduated from East Valley High School. There he met and fell in love with his high school sweetheart, Susan Hagen. They were married in 1965 and had three children, Marisue, Karrie and Russell.
Claude began working at the age of 14 at the Big "K" Food Center, in Trentwood, later he was a manager of Farver's Grocery Store in Post Falls and in 1979 owned and operated F&F Specialty Cars/Auto Parts. After selling the business he worked for Western States Equipment, retiring in 2008. Claude's love affair with cars began at the age of 13, building his first car, a 1925 Model T roadster. Throughout the years his passion for the automobile only grew stronger. Recently Claude completed another 1925 "T" roadster just like the first car he ever built. Claude belonged to Syndicates Car Club and was a founding member of the Spokane Roadsters. Claude was the mentor of Thee Inland Emperors.
Over the years Claude and Susan traveled all over the United States and Canada receiving local and national attention for all his hot rods. In 2007, Claude was inducted into the Washington State Hot Rod Hall of Fame. Claude's talent and passion was passed on to his son, Russ. January 2011 he joined Russ on the Car Show circuit and enjoyed seeing his son's many accomplishments. Claude befriended everyone with his quick wit and charm, from the checker at the store to his many fellow street rodders. Claude's passion to help those in need, he donated a kidney to dear friend Tesesa Jones in 2000. It is comforting to know his gift lives on. He will be dearly missed by all.

 

One car I use to hear about from the 6 powered days would be a car called the " Brown Bomber", any chance this is it? Red Gobel was another from the South Sound that started out with the inliners, be it his late 40's Chevy Coupe or his first rear engine dragster

 

My thought (question) as well, It would be intertesting to know how tom willford became TOM WILLFORD. I think he's in the "neighborhood".

 

Harold Gunderson- owner and driver of the “Renton Motor Parts” A/C,B/D,A/D,TA/D and T/F. He ran from 1959 to 1979. A quiet unassuming guy. He was in my circle of friends (Travel-On’s). A do it yourself type with skills and ideas. 1 pic- A/Gas 34’ Ply cpe with a 331” Chrysler hemi. I think this is Shelton. 2 pic- S.I.R.. 3 pic- two engine T/Fuel. S.I.R.. 4 pic- I don’t know where this is.

 

How about their vintage '33 4dr tow car (Chrysler Hemi powered) that they used to travel south to the Winternationals and East in the '60's. Car is fully restored now.

 

Lincoln Johnson is one of the neatest people I've ever met, quite a gentleman.

 

Was that the car owned by the son of Preston Tucker and sold in '48 at the same time the car company failed?

 

Yep, that's the one.

 

Yes.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40510&highlight=tucker+hot+rod

Okay here is what I was talking about

 

I reply to post #156. In Edmonton Alberta I had the opportunity to ride in this car while we were going down track to pick Harold up after a run. I think the only thing 100 percent on that car was the drive train. The shocks were completely worn out. It almost tipped over when we tried to get into it. We couldn’t stay in the seats on the way to get Harold. I wasn’t sure we were going to make it to where Harold was. It was amazing to watch him and his guys with the “tow rig”. They were obviously oblivious to my concerns and comfortable with it. I thought it was a “death trap”.

Its nice to see that it (and everybody else) survived.

 

I think SHANTZ was mistaking it for this one, that was built by John Barbero in Bellingham, WA...

 

The late Al Swindahl. The world famous chassis builder in Tacoma. Before he was world famous (trying to get to be) him and I talked about getting Jerry Ruth to spend his money locally because the talent was here
.
When Jerry was rear ended in his funny car in 73’ I offered to paint the replacement for free. I didn’t know that he had another body (that was painted) that he would give me to strip the paint on and repaint. I figured that if I was doing it for free I should be able to get a new body. I made a mistake by not doing that car for him.

Swindahl later did become “the King’s” chassis builder as well as the rest of the world’s. Pic 1-2 the funny car. Pic 3 the T/F car that made Swindahl famous.

 

Here is a link to a page in the Washington Hot Rod Hall of Fame website showing all the past inductees:

http://www.washingtonstatehotrodhalloffame.com/inducted-members/

















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Thanks for the link. Interesting list. The questions remain: Who were they? When were they? What was there claim to fame?

 

Well................. I'm one from 1994

Mike

 

And the guy I wrote on here is the 2010 Hall of Famer. Good ol Russ Divers.

 

Well Mike, I (and i'll bet other onlookers) would like to know your story. How bout' it? Rabid, can you tell us about Russ?

This should be what this thread becomes. A "tell all". Not neccesarily by "know it alls".

For instance- My era is the late 50's on. I was located in the "green river valley", Renton, Kent, Auburn . Graduated from Kent-meridian high school 61'. Then someone can say (think), oh, then you knew so and so etc, etc..

 

Here is a name from the past who did a lot for drag racing and the hot rodding in general
in the fifty's and early sixty's. J. L. Skeans of Vancouver. "Skeans service home of the
Slo Poks and NHRA."

 

Dan Cyr was the President of the Travel-On's racing team for a while, 70's I think. He went on to own the Grand National Roadster Show for a while. He's a car show promotor type.

This is his brother Mike. I painted this car for him. Skippers only instructions were that it had to be red, white and blue.

 

well here is my contribution to all this;

walt shock from hilyard ran bonniville
chad little raced nascar
jeff evans drag racer, car builder, painter
john mendoza, transmission builder, back in town
pat swatson, car builder from sumner,wa his car made the cover of street rodder
shawn conner, exquesite painter/teacher of body and paint for distric 81 and scc

 

How about Orville Roupe,he ran Precision Engines in Seattle. Built everything from flatheads to Late hemi Chryslers. Helped out guys like Nascar racer Hershel McGriff and Bill Muncey of Atlas Van Lines unlimited hydroplane fame. Master craftsman and a great guy.

 

I'll add a name that is not from a long ago time, but will be in the record books forever, Jim Epler, from Vancouver Wa. First to run 300 mph in a Funny Car, after a very successful time in Dragboat racing.

 

Roger on that...I went to high school with Orv....Good friend.

 

Another (2) names are from Vancouver, Clarence Smith and Jack Gillis. Clarence(Smitty) built some of the best midgets in the 40's and 50's. He had drivers like 'wild Bill Gehlor and I think 'Barefoot Bob Gregg. Pete1 could help out with that history. Smitty built and drove hardtops at Portland Seedway and the Hollywood Bowl in Salem. I have his 1952 championship trophy and a great picture of his 33 Ford 5w coupe with dual tires front and rear on the right side. Jack Gillis was a kid that hung around smitty's shop. Jack machined the first set of torsion bars in his high school metal shop for Smitty's midget. At 17 years old he built a 27 track roadster with a flathead. That was 1946, in 1947 He took a Robert Roof 2 carb intake and mounted a 6-71 GMC blower on it for racing at Portland Speedway. Barney Navarro has long been credited as the first to install a roots blower on a flathead, they both managed the feat the same year. I have pictures of it and will get them scanned and show them soon. Sorry for the rambling story. Marty

 

Bill Scribner

 

Yes, I remember Smitty, Gehlor and Gregg both drove his cars.
I remember seeing Gillis around but never knew him.
Gregg was an advocate of the "bump, spin and run" manuever so I never had much respect for him.

 

me and my girl have been thinkin about moving up to wa. any rod shops up there lookin for help let me know

 

Like, you know my grandpa, Larry Undsderfer.